What is the best pre-op and aftercare to maximize microneedling?

Thank you for your questions, I would recommend having it done with PRP every time. You can get the best results when you combine it with any other laser treatments which is chosen based on your skin conditions. It should also be repeated at least once or twice a month for optimum results. I hope this was helpful. Best, Dr. Emer. 

I usually recommend a series of 3 microneedling treatment sessions with or without PRP in most cases accept for scar treatment when more sessions maybe required. Good at home skincare will optimize your results. This includes good sun protection, antioxidants, certain peptides, and retinol. 

To prepare for microneedling with or without PRP it is important to adhere to certain guidelines that include avoiding retinoids for 24 hours prior to your treatment, avoid sun exposure, and the patient must not have used Accutane or Isotretinoin within th past six months.  After microneedling use a gentle cleanser with tepid water for the first 48 hours after treatment and gently pat dry.  At Port City Plastic Surgery we recommend gentle skin care products for the first 24-48 hours following treatment.  Avoid makeup, retinoids, glycolic acids, vitamin c products and spf for the rest of the day following microneedling.  Avoid sun exposure for the first 48 hrs, swimming, and strenuous activity during the first 24 hrs.  The benefit of PRP is that it permits the body to take advantage of the normal healing pathways at an accelerated rate. PRP helps to assist the body in repairing itself by stimulating stem cell to regenerate new tissue.  In short microneedling with give you the most dramatic result, and maintenance procedures every year will prolong the results of the initial series that are initially needed.  I hope this helped answer your question.  If you are in the Charleston, SC area we provide complimentary consultations.  

Thanks for writing,I am not convinced that PRP offers anything more than the needling itself. In actuality with a great microneedling nurse and a great pen, that can control depth of needles which we are constantly adjusting based on location, there is bleeding and that’s your blood. Your blood contains all the PRP you will need, we needle this right back into your skin. There is no great evidence that PRP makes a difference, anywhere.For long lasting result, I tell patients, our body likes and needs stress. If I want stronger muscles I stress them at the gym, stronger bones I do the same thing. If you want your kids to have stronger brains they go to school where there are stressed. Stop the stress anywhere and the benefit goes away. Stop going to the gym and see what happens. So the bottom line is you have to stress your skin forever, low grade chronic stress. This pays off down the road in 5, 10, 15 years, you and your skin win. I hope this helpsGood Luck Stephen M. Davis, MD, FACS 
Certified: American Board of Plastic Surgery 
Member: American Society for Aesthetics Plastic Surgery 
Member: American Society of Plastic Surgeons 
Member:RealSelf Hall of Fame 

Because microneedling creates micro-channels in the skin which enhance penetration of topical serums and medications, it dramatically increases their effectiveness. Up to 80% of product can penetrate the skin compared to 7 to 10% with normal topical application without microneedling. Human growth factor serums have already been shown to reverse the signs of skin aging and combining them with microneedling significantly increases their effectivenessThere are now much better products to use during micro-needling than PRP because PRP is strongly pro-inflammatory (not good). In my office we do all of our micro-needling treatments using a serum from ProCell Therapies that is specially made for this purpose which contains high concentrations of growth factors derived from human bone marrow stem cells. This has all the advantages of PRP, without the disadvantages.

My patients also continue using a similar human growth factor serum at home after their micro-needling treatment for quicker healing times and continued improvement.